Model railroader displays remarkable universe in miniature

Wednesday

Nov 26, 2008 at 12:01 AMNov 26, 2008 at 9:23 PM

Underneath the pleasant exterior of a house in Georgetown hums an alternate universe. Tiny trains travel over trestles and along heavily forested mountainsides traversing 140 feet of double track laid by Georgetown resident Ric Keller over the past 22 years. Keller also sculpted and constructed the mountains themselves, and their impressive trestles.

Sally Applegate

Underneath the pleasant exterior of a house in Georgetown hums an alternate universe. Tiny trains travel over trestles and along heavily forested mountainsides traversing 140 feet of double track laid by Georgetown resident Ric Keller over the past 22 years. Keller also sculpted and constructed the mountains themselves, and their impressive trestles.

Sometimes, in photos of this complex setup, it is hard to recognize this as a universe in miniature rather than a real railroad. Traveling between two cities, a logging camp, a harbor and several villages in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, the little trains hum pleasantly along the tracks as switches and lights control the action. A tiny video camera mounted on one of the engines broadcasts live footage in the hallway as its host train makes its rounds.

Set during the transition from steam to diesel engines, Keller’s tiny train universe has two large engine yards with both steam and diesel engines clustered together. Logging trains and milk trains make their rounds on their convincing setups.

A tiny carousel circles to its own music at a carnival, and in one city, a man discovers he forgot to put the top up on his convertible before it went through the car wash. A large crowd of impossibly tiny union workers are irritated as they wait for a train to pass so they can reach their cars in the parking lot after a long day at work.

A building is on fire in one of the cities, and a car has caught fire on the highway. Hey — why isn’t the ski lift running? Is that lazy Hans lying down again on his ski tow operator job?

Children entertained by Keller’s wording, and mystified by the way Hans gets his act together when ordered to, never see the tiny remote control in Keller’s pocket.

AUDIO SLIDESHOW: Tour de Chooch with Ric Keller

The heavily forested hillsides were the brainchild of Keller’s late wife Judy, who worked with him for years on the train setup, growing and drying the herbs that would create these vast miniature forests. The little trees are utterly convincing, and have worked out well except for the occasional clear-cut logging disaster when the family cats have a blast decimating entire hillsides of little catnip (pine) trees. Beautiful sweeping murals by Ron Paris add depth and color to the setup.

2008 Tour de Chooch

The humor and imagination of Ric Keller will once again be on display Sunday in this year’s free annual Tour de Chooch at his 19 Lakeridge Drive home in Georgetown. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. it’s open house for the public to enjoy the result of Keller’s years of work and collecting.

“Model railroaders never say their work is finished, but this work is pretty nearly finished,” says Keller. “I suppose I could keep tweaking certain parts of the setup.”

Retired after 40 years as a labor relations and compensation consultant for General Electric, Keller once played rock and roll piano for Johnny and the Spinners, and stand-up bass for The Master Sounds. He now plays stand-up bass for The Strummers. His friend and neighbor Dick Boucher is The Strummers’ rhythm guitar player. Boucher will be dressed in complete engineer garb for the open house. Dick and Bea Boucher, along with Keller’s daughter Alyson, are hosting the Nov. 30 event, which also features hot cider and cheese and crackers.

Keller says the custom-designed decal business he ran with his wife no longer has an online Web site, but he still makes himself available to longtime customers for special orders. The Personal Touch provided customized miniature graphics and decals to modelers and miniaturists over the years, and Keller is open to filling the need for that special decal or graphic.

“I’ll be glad to help anyone who needs a one-of-a-kind graphic for a special project,” says Keller. “My number is in the phone book.”

Words can describe Keller’s amazing train setup, and photographs can record it, but you really have to see it in person to appreciate its sheer size, complexity and artistry. He has even created his own cat face sculpture on one mountainside — Old Cat of the Mountain?

“When I look at it, I’m afraid it looks more like Mickey Mouse,” laughs Keller.

Many of the names in Keller’s universe of mountains and trains are in honor of various family and friends. There is Bud’s View, the main control station named in memory of a family cat, and Jake’s Gulch, named after another departed feline.

Sammy’s Toys & Games store is named after Keller’s youngest grandson, the town of Hannah is named after his granddaughter, and Eli the engine is named for Keller’s oldest grandson.

Keller has another major event scheduled for next summer. He has been asked to be the only open house stop for the National Model Railroad Association’s national convention in Hartford, Conn. in July.

If you go…

The Tour de Chooch will stop at the home of Ric Keller, 19 Lakeridge Drive, Georgetown, on Sunday, Nov. 30 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The free model railroad open house also features hot cider and cheese and crackers. Fifteen other setups will be on tour on Nov. 29 and 30 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For the complete schedule of stops, visit www.amherstrail.org/trips/ChoochFall08.pdf.

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